Thanksgiving Cocktails

[Moliphino]

I have to be honest the idea of alcohol (liquor, beer, wine) for a family holiday is an odd one because it has never been that way in my family. But I also do enjoy trying new things, cocktails included. So what do you enjoy?

I'm the opposite, can't imagine family parties without alcohol.
There was one Lent a few years back when my sister and I both gave up alcohol. There was a milestone birthday party for one of my uncles during that time. We spent almost the whole time off by ourselves in a side room because it was too loud and crowded to function in the main party area. The alcohol makes it much easier to withstand that environment.

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

We'll have wine. Probably beer earlier in the afternoon while cooking. No special cocktails, we don't ever usually drink those. I also have some flavored sparkling waters - cranberry, and apple spice.

 

[cabanafrau]

Apple cider mules, apple cranberry mules, maple whiskey sours, husband has a couple of homebrews on tap(no idea what). He also has a few homemade meads like plum, cherry and another one or two options,

I'm personally looking forward to a glass of a white wine we picked up at a local vineyard. It's crisp and clean like a great sauvignon blanc. Already imagining myself with a glass after the whole dinner hubbub winds down -- it's really that yummy.

 

[luvnwdwgal]

We’ve never had alcohol on Thanksgiving

 

[SteveH]

Fall Grog
3/4 oz Cinnamon syrup
1/4 oz Allspice liqueur (Hamilton Pimento Dram)
1 oz Honeycrisp Apple Cider or Pure Pressed Juice.
1/2 oz Fresh Juice from a Lime
1oz Coruba Rum
1 oz Plantation Rum Barbados 5-Year
3/4 oz Plantation O.F.T.D. Rum
3/4 oz club soda

Flash blend with crushed ice and pour into a double rocks/Mai Tai glass

Garnish with fresh mint and a cinnamon stick that has been lit

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

For my mom's side of the family it's always since day 1 been bring your own drink. As kids that meant my mom would bring/have at her house (majority of Thanksgivings have been at her house) pop or other drinks. As adults that has varied between pop or beer.

If at my mother-in-law's if you want beer you can bring it, otherwise Welch's sparkling has been a tradition (which that is non-alcoholic). Sometimes wine but not often. They usually have pop as well.

Father-in-law's it's either pop or beer. They usually have beer in their fridge in the garage or you can bring your own.

Hard liquor come to think of it has never really been big at get togethers. My husband has on occasion made margaritas (not mixed, he makes it from scratch) but that's only been recent and hasn't done it for a holiday except for maybe Memorial Day or 4th of July??. For beer our preference is generally craft beer although at my mom's bud light was what they would drink/have in the fridge but we always brought more craft beer. Father-in-law usually goes for craft beer though not normally as varied in style and options as my husband and I do.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

Beer wine and Mai Tais. The 1944 style Mai Tai not the resort Mai Tais.

Do you have the tiki glassware?

 

[MamaMermaid]

We don’t like the taste of a lot of alcohol but will probably make a few Cranberry Kringles!

 

[Smugpugmug]

Not really doing cocktails this year. We have a bottle of white wine, some whiskey to mix in with eggnog and of course my POG flavored IPAs. It isn't an event without them

 

[tony67]

Do you have the tiki glassware?

Yeah - got to have the glassware - I have a full pub with 4 taps speed rail etc..

Mai Tai - Libby makes pretty good reproductions of Mai Tai and Zombie glasses. Also Pain Killer
(Mai tai should have a half ounce of black rum on top but sometimes I don't want to over do it with the 151.


Have lots of one off tiki mugs from yard sales etc.. but don't use them for the most part.

Scorpion Bowl:


And since its a Disney board Lapu Lapu


And for Universal - Shark Attack

 

[Lord Manhammer]

Yeah - got to have the glassware - I have a full pub with 4 taps speed rail etc..

Mai Tai - Libby makes pretty good reproductions of Mai Tai and Zombie glasses. Also Pain Killer
(Mai tai should have a half ounce of black rum on top but sometimes I don't want to over do it with the 151.
View attachment 812052

Have lots of one off tiki mugs from yard sales etc.. but don't use them for the most part.

Scorpion Bowl:
View attachment 812054

And since its a Disney board Lapu Lapu
View attachment 812055

And for Universal - Shark Attack
View attachment 812057

 

[easyas123]

We have a full bar in our basement, and we will have pretty much everything anyone wants to drink. Several types of wine, booze, champagne...my morning always starts off with champagne with my Mother at some point in the prep work Thursday morning. I don't bother with Mimosas, however I do drop some frozen cranberries in my glass.

 

[disneychrista]

I have some apple whiskey and will probably make some type of spiked cider. The problem with most cocktails is having to buy multiple ingredients and only using 1-2oz of them.

 

[ShelbyWagon]

My parents don't do hard liquor so we normally do wine. Thanksgiving food is hard to pair with since there's such a variety of flavors so we have a mix of white and red. I think a light pinot noir or grenache works best.

If I was doing cocktails, a classic Manhattan feels like it would pair well with the meal. A little bitterness to balance out the rich food. Mmmm, now I want a Manhattan here on a Monday morning

 

[SteveH]

Beer wine and Mai Tais. The 1944 style Mai Tai not the resort Mai Tais.

Full Tiki Bar at home here, gotta love a good proper Mai Tai... though I don't mind a good Royal Hawaiian Mai Tai sometimes too. We also take all the fixings when we go camping too.

 

[tony67]

Full Tiki Bar at home here, gotta love a good proper Mai Tai... though I don't mind a good Royal Hawaiian Mai Tai sometimes too. We also take all the fixings when we go camping too.
View attachment 812081
View attachment 812082

Cool - I see you have all the correct rums and ingredients - I want to try a macadamia orgeat. I also want to try the Hamilton rums but they are not available near me - need to order from B21 for those

Yeah a good resort Mai Tai can be good no doubt - with good ingredients even a Blue Hawaii can be good IMO.

I also enjoy Negronis and may start with those on thanksgiving. Doing a Coffee infused Campari and will use Mezcal instead of gin. This thread reminded me I've been meaning to do that. Have to run out and buy a good vermouth though. (Carpano Antica)

 

[SteveH]

@tony67 yeah I've been lucky even though they are Government run liquor stores the Oregon stores are good about carrying some great rums and other items, but as we travel I pick up items I can't find nearby too. A couple stores in Eugene and Portland are my favorite to visit since they really know their stuff. Thanks to Costco we get nailed with a 23% liquor tax in WA State which sucks, but worse the stores around me only sell the bottom shelf and low grade Malibu, etc. They don't see the value in Clement, Hamilton or Plantation let alone good liquors from Giffard.

We had one of the best Hawaiian Mai Tai's at Oasis on the Beach which is on Kaua'i. They use a blend of almond & macadamia nut orgeat that made that drink amazing, add in the three rums: light, amber, & dark, lime, liliko foam and they really nailed it. Might need to try making some macadamia nut orgeat.

Have you tried a Space Needle? It was created by Trader Vic for the 1962 World's Fair, it's basically a Mai Tai with lemon Juice. I picked up some footed Pilsner glasses since this picture, they make it look classier. Any Blue Curaco works, but now that I have the Giffard I like it a lot more, if you can find Senior & Co. Genuine Blue Curaçao - buy that hands down.

Space Needle
1.5 oz Doctor Bird Jamaican Rum (Dark Rum)
1.5 oz Plantation 3 Stars (Light Puerto Rican Rum)
1.5 oz Lemon Juice
1 oz Blue Curaçao
.75 oz Homemade Orgeat

 

[tony67]

@tony67 yeah I've been lucky even though they are Government run liquor stores the Oregon stores are good about carrying some great rums and other items, but as we travel I pick up items I can't find nearby too. A couple stores in Eugene and Portland are my favorite to visit since they really know their stuff. Thanks to Costco we get nailed with a 23% liquor tax in WA State which sucks, but worse the stores around me only sell the bottom shelf and low grade Malibu, etc. They don't see the value in Clement, Hamilton or Plantation let alone good liquors from Giffard.

We had one of the best Hawaiian Mai Tai's at Oasis on the Beach which is on Kaua'i. They use a blend of almond & macadamia nut orgeat that made that drink amazing, add in the three rums: light, amber, & dark, lime, liliko foam and they really nailed it. Might need to try making some macadamia nut orgeat.

Have you tried a Space Needle? It was created by Trader Vic for the 1962 World's Fair, it's basically a Mai Tai with lemon Juice. I picked up some footed Pilsner glasses since this picture, they make it look classier. Any Blue Curaco works, but now that I have the Giffard I like it a lot more, if you can find Senior & Co. Genuine Blue Curaçao - buy that hands down.

Space Needle
1.5 oz Doctor Bird Jamaican Rum (Dark Rum)
1.5 oz Plantation 3 Stars (Light Puerto Rican Rum)
1.5 oz Lemon Juice
1 oz Blue Curaçao
.75 oz Homemade Orgeat

View attachment 812183View attachment 812184

Sounds good.

Have to try the space needle but Dr Bird in another one I cant get... there are still some odd laws in my state about rum I think - something to do with the Kennedys supposedly and protecting their rum business back in the day. May just be urban legend - but no doubt they made a lot of money from Alcohol.

Rum was big business here until the great molasses flood so protecting the rum production in the state may have also been part of it.

 

[mjkacmom]

We’ve never had alcohol on Thanksgiving

Growing up, our big thanksgiving holidays started at one, cocktail hour was from 1 - 5, then dinner with wine, then cordial’s with dessert. I have no idea how people got home. My moms side of the family was Irish. Christmas was the same, but the adults stayed up most of the night drinking. My dads side of the family was Scottish.

 

[mjkacmom]

I think I’m going to make pomegranate Aperol spritzers, just need to get some pomegranate juice. Plus beer and wine.